The Outsiders: Epilogue
by mmmarlena
Summary: Just a short epilogue I had to write for school on the book The Outsiders. Felt like sharing it to the world. Enjoy & please review!


"So how are you liking it, son? Feelin' those rays sink into your soul?" I asked enthusiastically.

Watching the sunset with my son Kobrakid for the first time was something grand. It made me feel like I was passing on a legacy. My legacy.

"Yeah, I guess."

My son sounded nothing as amazed as I was the first time I saw a sunset, when I was ten. My son Kobrakid is now ten, why ain't he as blown away as I was?

"Shoot, Dad, it's just the sun. C'mon, let's go home. It's getting cold."

I felt a lump in my throat. "Sure kid, Mom wouldn't want you gettin' a cold now would she?"

The drive home from the old church hill in Windrixville to our house in the city felt very long and lonesome. As we were approaching home, I saw two tough cars, a Mustang and a Camaro, speeding behind me, with the Mustang's nose nearly touching the Camaro's bumper. There were about four or five teenagers in each car, with wild expressions filled with adrenaline. They were having a drag race.

"Oh, cool!" my son exclaimed. "Look, Dad, they're gangin' up on each other!" Kobrakid was tugging hard on my sleeve at this point.

"Son, you listen to me right now. What they're doing there, it's not cool. It's not solving anything. You listen to me and never become like those fools."

Blood was pumping through my veins. My son stared wide-eyed at those jerks, with an excited grin on his face, and I felt hot with anger. So that was what the new kids called "gang fights". It's no more face-to-face. And my son was going towards that damn, cruel direction.

I pulled up on the nearest vacant spot, avoiding the mess those teenagers were causing, and waited until they were gone. "Kobe, let me talk to you about something, something you should know about me by now." And then I began telling him about my youth, the silly, stupid, and terrifying fights I've been in, I told my son about Two-Bit, the comedian of the group, Steve, the big shot, Sodapop, the fun-loving guy who understood everyone, Darry, the tough, rational, smart guy, Cherry, the Soc who watched sunsets just like I did, and Randy, the other Soc who had human emotions just like everyone else. Then of course I told Kobrakid about Johnny, the hero, Dally, the delinquent, and about our heroic, unforgettable story and how it all started by Bob's murder.

"Gee..." Kobrakid began, dumbfounded, "But Dad, why haven't I ever met Two-Bit and Steve, and if you used to be so close to Uncle Darry and Sodapop, why aren't you as close to them now?"

Right then and there, something hit me. My son was right. As the years have gone by and as we've entered adulthood, us Greasers haven't been as close as we used to be. We've grown apart, followed our own dreams, and went our separate ways. Darry got a great job working as a child psychologist, helping the children who are in the same position as he once was. Two-Bit was heading towards show-business, learning how to be a comedian and making people smile, and Sodapop married a beautiful woman and adopted two baby girls and two baby boys, in hope of helping orphaned children. As for me, I've become a published author, writing books mostly about teenage angst, childhood's innocence, and adulthood's disillusionment. I've gained a satisfying place in the writing business.

I haven't seen Cherry, or Randy after my full recovery from the rumble, but that's OK. All I wished for was the best for them because I knew for sure that they were just as human as I was.

Late that night, when my son and I arrived home, I decided to do something I have never done before. I called up the gang, Sodapop, Darry, Two-Bit and Steve, and told them to meet me early the following morning at the old church hill in Windrixville.

We all arrived there just before daylight, in time to see something we've never really realized existed: the sunrise. We were all silent as this was happening. No one even bothered to say hi because all our eyes were focused on this magnificent sight. There was a long pause after the sun rose, but it wasn't a dreadful pause, it was a peaceful one. It was a kind of comforting pause as if everything was officially put to rest, and new beginnings were on the verge of emerging. Finally, we all stared at each other, blinking out tears from our eyes. We all knew who was on our minds: Johnny and Dally. We ran into a bundle and hugged each other at once, and remembered our past, felt our present, and had a great feeling about our future. We realized right there that no matter our distance or separation, we would always be there for each other like we would've been oh so many years ago. Nothing could pull our brotherhood apart.

I arrived home in late morning. I went into my son's bedroom to check if he was awake yet, but he wasn't. I kissed him gently on the cheek and just as I was about to close his door, he said, "Dad, thanks for bringing me to watch the sunset last night. I really want to watch it again with you. I think I would appreciate it more next time."

My heart thumped with excitement. "Of course, Kobe," I tried keeping a steady voice, "whenever you wish."

I crashed on the couch that morning with too much on my mind. I remembered the poem from Robert Frost that Johnny and I used to dig and I finally understood it at my own level. Nothing in life can remain the same, but you have to keep up with the new things to keep progressing. Now _that_ was golden.

* * *

><p><strong>So that's about it! And just an important notice, before I get dissed for using an unoriginal name, I used the name Kobrakid from the Killjoy name of My Chemical Romance's bassist Mikey Way, so credits to that. Hope you enjoyed! :) <strong>


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